
R
the vehicle is near a radio telescope facility
(Y page 362).
R you switch off the radar sensor system
(Y page 135).
R you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away and the front-
passenger door or one of the rear doors is
open.
If Distronic Plus is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see the DISTRONIC
PLUS off message in the multi-function dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
If the vehicle has been stopped by Distronic
Plus and a fault occurs in the system, the
Brake immediately message appears in the
multi-function display. Depress the brake
pedal immediately so that the vehicle does
not roll away. Distronic Plus is deactivated
and the message disappears.
Tips for driving with Distronic Plus The following contains descriptions of certain
road and traffic conditions in which you must
be particularly attentive. In such situations,
brake if necessary. Distronic Plus is then
deactivated.
Cornering, entering and exiting a bend
The ability of Distronic Plus to detect vehicles
when cornering is limited. Your vehicle may
brake unexpectedly or too late. Vehicles travelling on a different line
Distronic Plus may not detect vehicles trav-
elling on a different line. The distance to the
vehicle in front will be too short.
Other vehicles changing lane
Distronic Plus has not detected the vehicle
cutting in yet. The distance to this vehicle will
be too short.
Narrow vehicles
Distronic Plus does not detect the vehicle in
front on the edge of the carriageway, because Driving systems
147Controls
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of its narrow width. The distance to the vehi-
cle in front will be too short.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles Distronic Plus does not brake for obstacles or
stationary vehicles. For example, if the detec-
ted vehicle turns a corner and reveals an
obstacle or stationary vehicle, Distronic Plus
will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles Distronic Plus may detect vehicles that are
crossing your lane by mistake. Activating Dis-
tronic Plus at traffic lights with crossing traf-
fic, for example, could cause your vehicle to
pull away unintentionally. Speedtronic
Speedtronic brakes automatically so that you
do not exceed the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must
shift to a lower gear in good time or select
shift range 1,2or 3on vehicles with auto- matic transmission*. By doing so, you will
make use of the braking effect of the engine,
which relieves the load on the brake system
and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly. If you need addi-
tional braking, depress the brake pedal
repeatedly rather than continuously. G
Risk of accident
Never depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brakes to rub by applying constant slight
pedal pressure. This causes the brake system
to overheat, increases the braking distance
and can lead to the brakes failing completely. G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid.
You can set a variable or permanent limit
speed:
R variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas
R permanent for long-term speed restric-
tions, e.g. for driving on winter tyres
(Y page 150) G
Risk of accident
Speedtronic is only an aid designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's
speed and for braking in good time.
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Variable Speedtronic With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control, Distronic Plus* and variable
Speedtronic.148
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X
Press the :or9 button to set per-
manent Speedtronic in increments of ten
(240 km/h to 160 km/h). Permanent
Speedtronic is deactivated with the Off
setting.
X Press ato save the entry. HOLD function
The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
R when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvring on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancelled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary.
R the engine is running or was automatically
switched off by the ECO Start/Stop func-
tion.
R the driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened.
R the parking brake is not applied.
R the bonnet is closed.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission*,
D, Ror Nis selected.
R Distronic Plus* is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake. Vehicles with automatic transmission* with a
selector lever (example)
X
With increased force depress the brake
pedal further until HOLD:appears in the
multi-function display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again. G
Risk of accident
The vehicle's brakes are applied when the
HOLD function is activated. For this reason,
deactivate the HOLD function if the vehicle is
to be set in motion by other means (e.g. in a
car wash or by towing).
Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
cally if:
R
you accelerate. On vehicles with automatic
transmission*, this occurs only if Dor Ris
selected.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission*,
you move the selector lever to P.
R you activate Distronic Plus*.
R you release the brakes and apply them
again with a certain amount of pressure
until the HOLDmessage in the multi-func-
tion display goes out. G
Risk of accident
Never get out of the vehicle when the HOLD
function is activated. Driving systems
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* optional
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The HOLD function must never be operated
or deactivated by a passenger or from outside
the vehicle.
The HOLD function does not replace the park-
ing brake and must not be used for parking.
The braking effect of the HOLD function is
cancelled and the vehicle could roll away if:
R the HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator pedal or the
brake pedal.
R there is a malfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply, e.g. bat-
tery failure.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with.
R the battery is disconnected. G
Risk of accident
If you leave the vehicle or park it, deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
In vehicles with automatic transmission and
a DIRECT SELECT lever*, the transmission is
automatically shifted to Pif the HOLD func-
tion is activated and:
R the driver's door is opened and you release
the seat belt.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO Start/
Stop function.
R the bonnet is opened.
R a system fault occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient. In vehicles with manual transmission or auto-
matic transmission* with a selector lever, you
see a warning message in the multi-function
display if the HOLD function is activated and:
R
the driver's door is opened and you release
the seat belt.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO Start/
Stop function.
R the bonnet is opened.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Brake immediately
X Immediately depress the brake pedal firmly
until the warning message in the multi-
function display goes out. This deactivates
the HOLD function.
On vehicles with automatic transmission*
with a selector lever:
Select Park (P)
X Move the selector lever to Pto prevent the
vehicle from rolling away.
The HOLD function is deactivated. The
warning message in the multi-function dis-
play disappears.
A horn will also sound at regular intervals if
the HOLD function is activated and you:
R switch off the engine, open the driver's
door and remove your seat belt.
R open the bonnet.
The sounding of the horn alerts you to the fact
that the vehicle has been parked while the
HOLD function is still activated. The tone
becomes louder if you attempt to lock the
vehicle. The vehicle is not locked until the
HOLD function is deactivated.
i If the ignition has been switched off, the
engine cannot be started again until the
HOLD function has been deactivated.
If there is a fault in the system or power supply
while the HOLD function is activated, the
Brake immediately message is shown in
the multi-function display. Immediately
depress the brake firmly until the warning 152
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message in the multi-function display goes
out. On vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion*, you can also select
P. This deactivates
the HOLD function. RACE START (E 63 AMG)
RACE START enables optimal acceleration
from a standing start with suitable high-grip
road surface conditions. G
Risk of accident
RACE START is only available when ESP ®
Sports mode is activated. ESP ®
Sport stabil-
ises the vehicle in a limited manner if the vehi-
cle starts to skid or when a wheel is spinning.
RACE START should only be used on closed
off circuits. Always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.
Conditions for activation RACE START can be activated when:
R
the doors are closed
R the engine is running and it has reached an
operating temperature of approximately
80 †. This is the case when the engine oil
temperature lamp in the multi-function dis-
play stops flashing.
R ESP ®
Sport is activated (Y page 62)
R the steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position
R the vehicle is at rest and the brake pedal is
depressed (left foot)
R the transmission is in position DActivating RACE START X
Depress the brake pedal with your left foot,
and keep it depressed.
X Turn the program selector switch clock-
wise (Y page 116), until the RSlamp lights
up.
The multi-function display shows the RACE
START Confirm: Paddle UP Cancel:
Paddle DOWN message.
i If the conditions for activation are no lon-
ger fulfilled, RACE START is cancelled. The
multi-function display shows the RACE
START cancelled message.
X To cancel: pull the left paddle
(Y page 114).
or
X To confirm: pull the right paddle
(Y page 114).
The multi-function display shows the RACE
START available Depress accelera‐
tor message.
i If you do not depress the accelerator
pedal fully within two seconds, RACE
START is cancelled. The multi-function dis-
play shows the RACE START not possi‐
ble See Owner's Manual message.
X Depress the accelerator pedal fully.
The engine speed rises to approximately
4,000 rpm.
The multi-function display shows the RACE
START Release brake to start mes-
sage.
i If you do not release the brake pedal
within seven seconds, RACE START is can-
celled. The multi-function display shows
the RACE START cancelled message.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum accel-
eration.
The multi-function display shows the RACE
START active message. Driving systems
153Controls
* optional
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i
In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tyres (M+S tyres), with snow
chains if necessary. PARKTRONIC*
G
Risk of accident
PARKTRONIC is only an aid and may not
detect all obstacles. This system does not
relieve you of the need to pay attention.
You are always responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your imme-
diate surroundings when parking and
manoeuvring. You could otherwise endanger
yourself and others. G
Risk of injury
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the manoeuvring range. Otherwise, they
could be injured.
PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasound. It indicates visually and audibly
the distance between your vehicle and an
object.
PARKTRONIC is automatically activated when
you switch on the ignition and release the
handbrake.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
18 km/h. It is reactivated at lower speeds.
PARKTRONIC monitors the area around your
vehicle using six sensors in the front bumper
and four sensors in the rear bumper. :
Example: sensors in the front bumper,
left-hand side
Range of the sensors The sensors must be free of dirt, ice and
slush; otherwise, they may not function cor-
rectly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them.
Side view: Saloon shown as an example
Top view: Saloon shown as an example Driving systems
157Controls
* optional
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Front sensors
Centre Approximately 100 cm
Corners Approximately 60 cm
Rear sensors
Centre Approximately 120 cm
Corners Approximately 80 cm
!
When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer towbars. PARK-
TRONIC does not detect such objects when
they are in the immediate vicinity of the
vehicle. You could damage the vehicle or
the objects.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic
car wash, a lorry's compressed-air brakes
or a pneumatic drill could cause PARK-
TRONIC to malfunction.
Minimum distance Centre Approximately 20 cm
Corners Approximately 15 cm
If there is an obstacle within this range, all
warning displays light up and a tone sounds.
If the distance falls below the minimum clear-
ance, it may no longer be shown.
Warning displays
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located
on the dashboard above the centre air vents.
The warning display for the rear area is loca-
ted on the roof lining in the rear compart-
ment. Warning display for front area
:
Left-hand side of the vehicle
; Right-hand side of the vehicle
= Indicator segments
The warning display for each side of the vehi-
cle is divided into five yellow and two red seg-
ments. PARKTRONIC is operational if yellow
indicator segments =light up.
The gear lever position or, in the case of auto-
matic transmission*, the selector lever posi-
tion determines which warning display is
active when the engine is running:
Manual transmission: Selector lever
position Warning display
Forwards gear
or
Neutral
Front area activated
Reverse gear
Rear and front areas
activated
Automatic transmission*:
Selector lever
position Warning display
D
Front area activated
R
or N Rear and front areas
activated
P
No areas activated158
Driving systemsControls
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Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle by means of a camera at
the top of the windscreen. :
Lane Keeping Assist camera
In order that you are warned only when nec-
essary and in good time if you cross the lane
marking, the system recognises certain con-
ditions and warns you accordingly.
The warning occurs earlier if:
R you cut a corner on the outside.
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a motor-
way.
R the system recognises solid lane markings,
as crossing these often results in a critical
situation, e.g. in the case of hard shoulders
or crash barriers.
The warning occurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes.
R you cut a corner on the inside.
No warning occurs if:
R you actively steer, brake or depress the
accelerator pedal, e.g. when changing lane,
overtaking, accelerating or leaving the
motorway.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
R you drive around a very sharp bend.
R you switch on the turn signals. In this event
the warnings are suppressed for a certain
period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
. G
Risk of accident
Lane Keeping Assist does not keep your vehi-
cle in its lane. It is only an aid and may detect
the lane markings on the road incorrectly or
not at all.
The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to snow,
rain, fog or spray.
R there is glare, e.g. from the sun or from
oncoming traffic.
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up or cov-
ered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicinity
of the camera.
R there are no lane markings.
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or
covered up, e.g. by dirt or snow.
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too
short.
R there are ambiguous lane markings on the
road, e.g. near roadworks.
R there are short-term changes to the mark-
ings, e.g. filter lanes or motorway exits.
R the road is narrow and winding.
Lane Keeping Assist cannot detect road and
traffic conditions. It is not a substitute for
attentive driving.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognise dangers in time, cause an accident
and injure yourself and others.
Activating Lane Keeping Assist Example: vehicles with automatic transmission
with a selector lever* 170
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